Ruins of the Magnanimous World - The Records of the Grand Historian of Constantinople: An Eastern Roman Empire AAR [ SS 6.4 | SSHIP 0.9 | RR/RC | VH/VH ]

**Ostlich** · March 06, 2016, 07:57 PM

A recently uncovered set of books, buried underneath the floor-tiles of the Hagia Sophia since the early 15th century (possibly the fall of Constantinople). The books are commonly titled 'Ruins of the Magnanimous World - The Records of the Grand Historian of Constantinople', and are denoted by their chronological order. The authorship is unknown, but the innumerable variations in hand-writing and diction lead us to believe that it was a collaborative effort between monks and court scribes.

The translated contents thereof, with translator notes italicized and contained in square brackets, [example]:

Book I, Chapter I - Foreword from the Grand Historian of Constantinople

The world under heaven, after a long period of division, tends to unite; after a long period of union, tends to divide. This has been so since antiquity. When the rule of the Macedonians weakened, twenty-five contending kingdoms sprang up, warring with one another until the kingdom of Seleucus prevailed and possessed the empire. But when Seleucus' destiny had been fulfilled, there arose two opposing kingdoms, Rome and Parthia, to fight for the mastery. And Rome was the victor.

The rises of the fortunes of Rome began when Scipio Africanus slew the whole of the Carthaginian host at Zama, and only ended when the whole empire belonged to Rome [AD 117]. This magnificent heritage was handed down in successive Roman emperors for a hundred years, till the rebellions of Postumus [Gaul] and Vaballathus [Palmyra] caused a disruption [Crisis of the Third Century]. But soon Emperor Aurelian reunited the empire, and Roman emperors continued their rule for another twenty years till the days of Emperor Diocletian, which were doomed to see the beginning of the empire's division into parts, known to history as the Tetrarchy. The four tetrarchs, Constantius, Maximian, Galerius, and Diocletian, fought for the mastery. And Constantine, son of Constantius, was the victor.

But the descent into misrule continued until the reigns of the two predecessors of Emperor Romulus Augustus, Emperors Avitus and Majorian, who sat on the imperial throne in the west about the middle of the fifth century.

Emperor Avitus was a foreigner who paid no heed to the native people of his court, but gave his confidence to his own people, the Gauls. He lived and died at the hands of his adviser, Ricimer, leaving the diadem to Emperor Majorian, whose adviser was also Ricimer. And he too lived and died at the hands of his adviser, leaving the diadem to Emperor Romulus Augustus, who a year later was deposed by Odoacer.

Odoacer was a Germanic soldier who came to rule the beginnings of the Ostrogothic Kingdom of Italy. This meager heritage was handed down in successive Ostrogothic kings for fifty years, till the conquest of Italy by the Romans in the east under Belisarius.

The resurgence in the fortunes of Rome began when Belisarius slew the whole of the Vandalic host at Tricamarum, and only ended when the whole empire, excepting parts of Hispania and Gaul, belonged to Constantinople [AD 555]. This magnificent heritage was handed down in successive Roman emperors for fifty years, till the ascendance of Khosrau, the Persian King-of-kings, caused a disruption. But soon Emperor Heraclius reunited the empire, and Roman emperors continued their rule for another ten years till the days of Emperor Leo, which were doomed to the see the ending of the empire's division into parts, known to history as the beginning of the Dark Ages. The three empires, Arab, Francia, and Rome, fought for the mastery. The Arabs were the victors in Asia and Africa, the Franks were the victors in Europe, and Rome endured.

And five hundred years later, it fell on the day of the full moon of the first month in the era of Established Calm [AD 1133], fifteen years after the death of Emperor Alexios, that a light from heaven descended upon the Hagia Sophia, which Emperor Romanos was presiding over at the time. The light struck him, and he was overcome with seizures and convulsions, and when he recovered, he issued the Edict of Reconquest. He lived and died at the hands of his wife, Empress Zoe, leaving the diadem to Emperor John [Ioannis], who retained from his predecessor in Europe the whole of Greece, Thrace, the islands of the Aegean, Cimmerian Bosporos, and the Balkans, excepting the regions of Illyria centered around Ras, a well-fortified castle, overlooking a gorge of strategic importance, which at the time was held by a rebellious prince of Serbia.

And in Asia, he retained the whole of Cyprus and the peripheries of Anatolia in direct contention to the Sultanate of Rum, Armenia Minor, and a dozen Emirates with ephemeral allegiances whose Emirs were relied upon for little more than discounted mercenaries and slaves.

The Chaldian [Trapezous], Chersonesian [Chersonesos], and Paphlagonian [Sinope] Themes